Spiked hinge plate with hook

ABSTRACT

A unitary connector ( 1 ) is provided for interconnecting individual panels on a framework of a partitioning system. The connector has a base plate ( 2 ) and prongs ( 4 ) located on the base plate for engaging a planar surface of a panel. A hook ( 3 ) is arranged to be pivotally connected to the base plate for engagement with the support framework attached to the base plate. Conveniently, a plurality of such connectors ( 1 ) can be located in a column one beneath the next or side-by-side as appropriate to the size or the plate being attached to a framework. Each connector can be a one piece unitary connector. The unitary connector advantageously provides a base plate of increased strength, grip and purchase on a panel of a partitioning system, and also a substantial reduction both in manufacturing and fitting costs.

IMPROVEMENTS RELATING TO CONNECTION DEVICES

The present invention concerns improvements relating to connectiondevices and particularly, though not exclusively, to improvementsrelating to devices for connecting cladding panels to a framework toform demountable partitioning such as that which is described inEuropean Patent No. EP-B-0 521 891 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,448.

European Patent No. EP-B-0 521 891 describes a connector for releasablyhooking a plasterboard panel onto a support skeleton in order to form ademountable partition. The connector comprises a generally planar baseplate attached to the panel by way of a plurality of gang nails whichhave been punched out of a central section of the base plate. The endportions of the base plate are pressed out into channel definingformations (louvres) which are adapted to engage with and secure anL-shaped hook member. One arm of the hook member is a hook arranged toreleasably hook over part of the support skeleton, and the other armincludes a pair of mutually opposed tongues for engaging the channeldefining louvres of the base plate.

In practice, the base plates are secured to the plasterboard panel priorto on-site assembly of the demountable partitioning. The panels are thentransported to the site where the assembly is completed by connectingthe hook members to each of the corresponding base plates and mountingthe panel to the framework via the connectors.

The present invention relates to an improved connector from thatdescribed hereinabove and has several significant advantages over theprior art connectors.

According to a broad aspect of the present invention there is provided aunitary connector comprising a base plate means located on the baseplate for engaging a planar surface and a hook member for engaging asupport framework characterized in that the hook member is hingedlyconnected to the base plate.

In one preferred embodiment of the present invention the base plate hasone major planar surface thereof against which the hook member ispivotable for transportation of the connector. Preferably, the hookmember has a major planar surface arranged to lie adjacent the baseplate when the hook member is pivoted about a pivotal axis of the hingeto lie against the base plate.

Conveniently, another embodiment of the invention may be provided withan overcentre mechanism for holding the hook member in a directiontransverse to the direction in which the major planar surface of thebase plate extends. Preferably, the overcentre mechanism is mounted onthe hook member. The overcentre mechanism is preferably an L-shaped armextending outwardly from one edge of the hook member and the shorter armof the L-shaped arm extends on the opposite side of the pivotal axis ofthe hinge pin to that side adjacent the one edge of the hook member fromwhich the L-shaped arm extends.

The means located on the base plate for engaging the planar surfacepreferably, in an exemplary embodiment, comprises a plurality ofnail-like prongs formed on the base plate arranged to extend outwardlyfrom an opposite side of the base plate to that side thereof from whichthe hook member extends, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 4. Each prong can bearranged to extend outwardly perpendicularly from the opposite side ofthe base plate.

Preferably, the prongs are regularly spaced over substantially the wholearea of the base plate for maximising strength, grip and purchase of thebase plate when applied to a panel of a partitioning system.

Conveniently, the base plate and hook member are interconnected by eachbeing pivotally mounted about a hinge pin. Alternatively, the base plateand hook member can be provided as a one-piece integral constructionwith the hinge being an area of reduced thickness of the one-piececonstruction.

One of the major advantages of the present invention over the knownconnectors is that the task of erecting or dismantling a demountablepartitioning is simplified and the overall time of completion reducedthereby. The connectors are premounted in a factory on panels, forexample of sheet plasterboard, and in the mounting operation on site,the fitter merely needs to swing the hook arms into position to be readyfor mounting the panel on a framework rather than assembling thetwo-part connector at the installation site. In addition, the use of aunitary connector is advantageous because there is then hardly anypossibility of losing or damaging the hooks in transportation to thesite during distribution around, or installation on, the site or whenthe partitioning is demounted for storage. Also, because the hook armsof the present invention preferably fold flat against the base plate, nosubstantial separate storage space is required for hook arms.

Commonly, two groups of four connectors are arranged in side-by-sidecolumns and are used for securing for example a plasterboard panel ofsay 2.5 m by 1.2 m to the support framework. Alternatively, the panelmay be of medium density fibreboard (MDF) or laminated chipboard, forexample.

The above described known connector has pressed out louvre portions onits separate base plate, each louvre portion of which forms a receivingchannel for a respective tongue of a fixed right angular hook memberattachable on site to the separate base plate which is itself prelocatedon the plasterboard in a factory prior to distribution to aninstallation site. These pressed out louvre portions are prone todeformation prior to assembly, i.e. during the transportation toinstallation site, and assembly time is often wasted because of thefitters having to bend the louvre portions back into shape to reopen thelouvres by use of a screwdriver, for example, so that the tongues of thehook member can enter the respective louvres. The connector of thepresent invention is preferably of a planar formation without tonguesand no separate nail base plate with louvres is provided, therebyavoiding the problems involved with known systems.

Embodiments of the present invention will now be described withreference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of a connector embodying thepresent invention;

FIG. 2 is a schematic elevated side view of the connector of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a schematic perspective view of one alternative connectorembodying the present invention; and

FIG. 4 is a schematic elevated side view of the connector of FIG. 3.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 there is shown a unitary connector 1embodying the present invention for use in a demountable partitioningsystem. The connector 1 comprises a base plate 2 and a hook 3 which ishingedly connected to the base plate 2. Both the base plate 2 and thehook 3 are pressed out of planar sheet steel blanks.

The base plate 2 comprises a series of prongs 4 which are formed bypunching through respective portions 5 of the base place 2. Theresultant prongs 4 allow the base plate 2 to be fixedly attached to aplasterboard panel (not shown) for example.

The prongs 4 are formed over substantially the whole of the area of thebase plate 2 including those areas of the plate 2 which in the knownsystems represent blank tongues to accommodate the insertion of the hookinto the louvered pans of the known nail base plate. The increasednumber of prongs on the base plate of the connector according to thepresent invention therefore advantageously increases the strength, gripand purchase of the base plate prongs over those of the prior artsystems.

The hook 3 is hingedly connected to the base plate 2 by a pin hingegenerally shown at 6. The pin hinge 6 comprises an elongate pin 7 aroundwhich are bent portions of the base plate 2 and the hook member 3. Morespecifically and as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with a pivotal axis 6A of thehinge extending in a vertical direction in the Figures, the hook 3 hasupper and lower bent portions 8, 9 extending from an edge portion 10thereof. These bent portions 8, 9 are wrapped around the pin 7 to securethe hook 3 thereto.

The base plate 2 has a plurality of edge tangs 11 formed by the processof pressing out the prongs 4. An upper 12 and a lower 13 one of thesetangs 11 are wrapped around the pin 7 to secure the pin to the baseplate 2. Accordingly, the pin hinge 6 is advantageously formed simply bythe provision of the pin 7 and by appropriate bent portions of the baseplate 2 and the hook 3.

The hook 3 has an L-shaped arm 14 extending outwardly from a hinge edgeof the hook in the same plane as the major planar surface of the hookand which is located between the hinge portions 8, 9 for limiting therange of relative movement between the hook 3 and the base plate 2 aboutthe hinge 6. A shorter arm 15 of the L-shaped arm 14 partially wrapsaround the pin 7 on substantially the diametrically opposite sidethereof to the hinge edge of the hook. This design allows the hook tolie flat against the base plate 2 in a folded transportation positionand to be rotatable through 90° and held in that right angled positionso that the connector is ready for mounting on horizontal bars of thepartition skeleton or framework (not shown).

An outer surface 16 of the shorter arm 15 of the L-shaped arm 14 andopposite to the surface of the shorter arm adjacent the hinge pin 7 isso formed as to act, in combination with the surface of the base plate2, as an overcentre mechanism for biasing retention of the hook 3 in theframework engagement position. Locking the hook 3 in the frameworkengagement position is advantageous for ensuring correct assembly duringthe panel mounting procedure. The L-shaped arm 14 has sufficientresilience as to allow the hook to be moved easily to the transport orstorage position.

An alternative embodiment of a unitary connector is shown in FIGS. 3 and4 in which the same reference numerals refer to the same parts in FIGS.1 and 2, and in which in accordance with the present invention theconnector 1 is formed having a hinge 6 which is of a one-piece integralconstruction with both the base plate 2 and the hook 3 but without theL-shaped arm 14. The remainder of the hinge constituting integral hingeconnections 8, 9 between the base plate 2 and hook 3 obviate the need toinclude hinge pin 6 or bent hinge portions 12 and 13. Portions 17, 18 ofthe hinge at the junction between the base plate 2 and hook 3 can be ofreduced thickness to aid bending outwardly of the hook 3. Furthermorecut-out 19 serves to assist bending of the hook by weakening length ofthe junction between base plate and hook. Once bent outwardly the hookremains in that position in use. This embodiment would be formed as anintegral stamping from a metal sheet and prior to use the hook would bebent up relative to the base plate 2. Prongs 4 are provided on the baseplate 2 and project permanently outwards therefrom in the same manner asthe prongs 4 of the first described embodiment, for attachment of theunitary connector 1 to a sheet of plasterboard.

The unitary connector is mounted on a panel or sheet of plasterboard atpredetermined positions thereon by pressing the prongs 4 of the baseplate 2 into the plasterboard in a factory by an appropriate press withthe hook 3 pivoted to lie against the base plate 2. Any number ofunitary connectors can be attached to the plasterboard in this manner,one below the other, side-by-side, as appropriate for fixing the panelof a chosen size to a skeletal panel supporting framework of apartitioning system. A very small panel may, for example, require saytwo unitary connectors side-by-side to connect the panel onto theskeleton framework. However, for a much larger panel size such unitaryconnectors can be arranged in two columns side-by-side with threeunitary connectors in each column.

Once the individual panels are delivered to a construction site a fitterpivots the hook of each connector until the hook projects substantiallyperpendicularly relative to the planar surface of the plasterboard andis held in this outwardly directed position by the overcentre lockingaction of the L-shaped arm 14 of each unitary connector. The fitter thenpicks up the panel and locates the panel on the skeletal framework, moreparticularly, on horizontally extending circular rods forming a part ofthe framework.

Although the panels are described as being of plasterboard, panels canbe of other materials such as, for example, MDF, laminated chipboard,veneered hardwoods or metal. The unitary connectors are of metal such asstainless steel or aluminium to save weight and to meet appropriate fireregulations.

Alternatively, the L-shaped arm 14 can be omitted and the pin hinge 6can be made fairly stiff relative to the connections with the baseplate, and hook so that the hook 3 is not easily moved out of theframework engagement position.

Advantageously, the connector of the present invention is provided witha number of prongs 4 which allow direct mounting of the unitaryconnector on a panel thereby obviating the need to provide a separatebase plate upon which a hook is physically mounted by the fitter onsite. Thereby considerable time and expense are saved utilising theunitary connector of the present invention because: (1) a separate baseplate with louvres is no longer necessary; (2) separate fixed angledhook connectors do not have to be supplied to the fitter on site; and(3) there is no fitting requirement by the fitter on site he merelypivots outwardly the hook of a premounted connector.

Having described the present invention with reference to specificembodiments, it is to be appreciated that the described embodiments areexemplary only and are susceptible to modification and variation withoutdeparture from the invention.

What is claimed is:
 1. A unitary connector for use in supporting apartitioning panel from a framework comprising horizontally extendingsupport members, said connector comprising: a base plate and nail-shapedprongs pressed out substantially perpendicular from and unitary with thebase plate for enabling the base plate to be attached to said panel; anda hook member attached to the base plate and freely moveable between astorage position aligned with the base plate and perpendicular to thenail-shaped prongs for enabling stacking of preformed partitioningpanels, and a use position perpendicular to die base plate and parallelto the nail-shaped prongs for enabling the partitioning panels to behung from said horizontally extending support members.
 2. A connector asclaimed in claim 1, wherein the base plate has a major planar surfacethereof against which the hook member is pivotable for transportation ofthe connector.
 3. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the hookmember has a major planar surface arranged to lie adjacent the baseplate when the hook member is pivoted about a pivotal axis of the hingeto lie against the base plate.
 4. A connector as claimed in claim 3,comprising an overcenter mechanism for holding the hook member so as toextend in a direction transverse to the direction in which the majorplanar surface of the base plate extends.
 5. A connector as claimed inclaim 4, wherein the overcenter mechanism extends from the hook member.6. A connector as claimed in claim 4 wherein the overcenter mechanism isan L-shaped arm extending outwardly from one edge of the hook member. 7.A connector as claimed in claim 6, wherein a shorter arm of the L-shapedarm extends on an opposite side of a pivotal axis of the hinge from aside adjacent the one edge of the hook member from which the L-shapedarm extends.
 8. A connector as claimed in claim 1, wherein thenail-shaped prongs are attached to the base plate with each prong beingarranged to extend outwardly from an opposite side of the base plate tothat side from which the hook member extends.
 9. A connector as claimedin claim 8, wherein the nail-shaped prongs are spaced in a predeterminedpattern over substantially the whole area of the base plate formaximizing strength, grip and security of attachment of the base platewhen applied to the partitioning panel.
 10. A connector as claimed inclaim 1, wherein the base plate and hook member are each pivotallymounted on a hinge pin.
 11. A conductor as claimed in claim 10, whereinthe hinge pin is tight relative to hinge pin receiving portions of thebase plate and hook member for maintaining the hook member in positionfor hooking on a skeletal framework of a partitioning system.
 12. Aconnector as claimed in claim 1, wherein the connector is an integralunitary construction.
 13. A connector as claimed in claim 12, whereinthe hinge is an area of reduced thickness of the unitary construction.14. The connector of claim 1, wherein said hinge is connected to thebase plate along a pivotal axis arranged so as to be offset from an edgeof the base plate.
 15. The connector of claim 1, wherein said base plateis essentially planar across an entire extent of die base plate.
 16. Theconnector of claim 1, wherein said base plate further comprises aplurality of edge tangs located on at least one edge of the base plate.17. The connector of claim 9, wherein said predetermined pattern spacessaid plurality of nail-shaped prongs uniformly in at least one directionacross said opposite side of the base plate.